Manufacture of axle-boxes.



N0. 648,03L Patented Apr. 24, I900.

' E. W. MACKENZIE-HUGHES.

MANUFACTURE HF AXLE BOXES.

' (Application filed. Decv 4, 1899.) (No Model.)

Nrrnn TATES FFlEe MANUFACTURE OF AXLE-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 648,031, dated April24, 1900. 1

Application filed December 4, 1899. Serial No. 789,167. (No model.)

Manufacture of Axle-Boxes, of whichthe following is a specification.

. Heretofore the main body of an axle-box has in various Ways beenmade'of Wrought metal. Either it has been made from one piece of metalwhich has been first rolled intoa plate and then bent and welded up intothe I form required or it has been made in separate parts which havebeen secured to one another by serew-b olts. According to my invention Iform the main bodyof an axle-box,

including the top, with the spring-seat upon' it, the front and rearends and the'two sides,

with the axle-guard grooves extending down them, all in one piece ofwrought'metal without joint, whereby I am enabled to manufactureaxle-boxes both stronger and lighter than those heretofore made, whileat the same s time they canbe made at less cost.

To accomplish the manufacture of axleboxes in the above way, I proceedas follows and as is illustrated in the drawings annexed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block of wrought metal from whichthe body of an axle-box is to be formed. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspectiveviews'of such block after a hollow has been molded on its under side anda spring-seat on the top. Figs. 4 and 5 aresections of the die throughwhich such molded block is subsequently forced. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the body of the box when finished. Fig. 7 is a perspective Viewof the tray for closing the bottom of'the box. Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of the axle-box complete.

Itake a block of wrought metal, preferably steel, of the required amountto form the body of the box, and I form with dies, preferably byhydraulic pressure on two opposite sides, the first shaping of theaxle-guard grooves, (marked a, Fig. 1.) I then squeeze the block betweenanother set of dies, preferably by a hydraulic press, and form thespring-seat (marked 1)) on the top and the indentation the body of thebox, as shown in Fig. 6.

(marked 0) on the under side, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The block soshaped is next brought to a proper heat and the top end (marked 01 inFig. 4) is chilled to enable it to retain its-shape. The block is nowplaced onto the end of a ram 6 and forced through the die, (marked f,)the arrangement of which is fully seen in Figs. 4 and 5. As the heatedmetal passes through the die it is drawn down on all four sides, thefinal shapingof the grooves being aided by the rolls g, The last portionof the die gives the final formation of Afterward an oval hole is cutthrough the back for the end of the axle to pass into the box, andanother hole is formed through the front toserve as an inspection-holeand for intro ducing oil. This hole is closed by a door It, as shown inFig. 8, which is a perspective View ofthe finished box. The bottom ofthe box is closed bya tray, (marked 'iand shown separately at Fig. 7.)It is preferably made of wrought steel and carries an upwardlyprojectingguard-plate 70 at its back end to hold the ordinary dust-shield betweenitself and the inner face of the back of the box. The tray serves tocontain the oil used for lubrication and also carries thelubricatingpad, by which the oil is applied to the under side of theaxle in the usual manner.

Having now particularly described and as= certained the nature of mysaid inventionand in what manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat what I claim is- The hereinbefore-described process of formin g anaxle-box body consisting in first molding projections for the axle-guardgrooves on two opposite sides of a rectangular block of wrought metal,next squeezing such block when heated between dies to form a hollow inthe bottom of the block and a spring-seat on the top, then heating suchblock and chilling the spring-seat 'after it has been heated andfinallyforcing the block through a die by which it is drawn down on allfour sides and brought to the required shape.

ED WARD WILLIAM MACKENZIE-HUGHES.

